Machine fob softening leather



UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE.

JNO. B. \VENTWORTII, OI` LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS.

MACHINE FOR SOFTENING LEATHER.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 14,211, dated February 5, 1856.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, JOHN B. WENTWORTH, of Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Machine for Boarding or Graining and Softening Skins; and I do hereby de- Iclare that the same is fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, letters, figures, and references thereof.

In such drawings, Figure 1, exhibits a top view of the said machine; Fig. 2, a front elevation of it; Figs. 3 and 4L, right and left end views of it; Fig. 5, a transverse, vertical and central section of it, and Fig. 6, a longitudinal section of its boarder.

My invention performs automatically what has heretofore been done by manual labor, and mechanism, the common process of boarding a skin and t-he manner in which the same is conducted being well understood by leather dressers.

In the drawings A, denotes the frame of the machine, while B, is the main shaft carrying a driving pulley C, and the fly wheel D, as seen in Figs. 1 and 3. IVithin the frame and extending across it, and from end to end of it and resting on springs ca a, is a curved bed over which is arranged what I term the rotary boarder F, its journals being supported in boxes o, b, arranged as seen in Fig. 1. The rubbing surface of this boarder is formed in several sections which slide upon a bar f, arranged within a frame or trough g, and extending from one to the other of the two ends L, k, thereof.

The several sections c, c, c, rest respectively. on one or more pieces (i, i) of india rubber or the elastic equivalents thereof, arranged between them and the case in which they are placed, and so that the said several sections c, c, c, can readily accommodate themselves to the varying thickness of any skin interposed between them and the bed E, while the boarder F, is in operation upon such skin. In combination with the said boarder and bed, a roller Gr, is employed, it being arranged with respect to them as seen in Figs. 1 and 5, and its journals or the bearers thereof being supported by springs as seen at lo, k, such springs permitting the roller to move downward under the pressure of the boarder F, acting through a skin-when the latter is placed on the roller and between it and the boarder as represented at s, in Fig. 5. rIhe springs if: 7c, as

well as another roller I-I, are borne by a movable carriage or bed K, which is arranged so as to be capable of moving or sliding horizontally either toward or away from the bed E. Under each end of the table or bed K, is a toothed rack Z, (see Figs. 3 and 5) which engages with one of two pinions m, fixed upon a horizontal shaft n. Each of said pinions meshes or engages with a sectoral gear 0, forming part of a weighted lever p, as seen in Fig. 5. The weights g, g, of the said lever serve to press the carriage K, and its rollers G, I-I, forward toward the bed E, and a second draft roller I,arranged as seen in Fig. 5. Underneath the rollers H, I, is another bed or concave L, and a roller M, disposed with respect to one another as seen in Fig. 5, the concave or bed L, being carried by the carriage or bed K, while the roller M, whose outer surface is fluted or made rough is sustained by the frame work.

The concave or bed L, may be formed in several sections r, r, a, (see Fig. 7, which is an inner side view of it) each of which may rest at its rear side against a piece of sheet india rubber or the equivalent thereof, the same serving to enable the bed or concave to accommodate itself to the varying thickness of the leather or skin S, while the latter is passing down between it and the roller M. The office of the rollers H and I is not only to draw the skin S, from the bed or concave E, but to hold the same during the operations of the roughening roller M, which should revolve at a much greater velocity than that of the roller I. The pressure of said roller M, is to scrape up, roughen, or velvetize, as it is sometimes termed, the back or flesh side of theskin, the other side of the skin being grained and the fibers bent and softened by the peculiar operations of the boarder F, the bed E,.and the roller G. A continuous rotary motion is given to the boarder F,while the roller I, has imparted toit ari inter* mittent rotary motion, its movements being arrested while the boarder F, is in operation on the skin.

The weighted levers p, p, are connected with a heddle B arranged as seen in the drawings and so that when said heddle is bo-rne downward, the table or bed K, and the rollers and concave attached to it may be retracted.

Each section, c, of the borderF, is held in place by the bar, f, and should have its passage a', for the reception of the bar, made somewhat wider than the box in order to enable the section toplay or move on the bar as occasion may require while the machine is in use. Either end, Z2', of the frame of the boarder should be applied to the bar, f, and the frame so as to be capable of being removed therefrom in order to permit the sections to be slid off the bar whenever occasion may require, it being understood that such an operation would first require the boarder F, to be removed from the main frame A. In Fig. 6 the end, Z9', is shown as simply slipped on the bar f, and the journal of the boarder, the end of the frame A, serving to keep the end or part, b, in place on the journal when the latter is in its boX or bearing. `In applying a skin to the machine the attendant lays it on the bed K, and moves its front end forward between the boarder and the roller G, and introduces it between the rollers, Gr, and I. During the rotary movement of the boarder, F, it strikes the skin lying upon the roller, H, and moves it forward in a doubled state upon the bed, E, and so as to board it. After the boarder leaves the skin on the bed, E, the roller, I, is set in motion so as to draw from the bed E, that part of the skin so boarded the attendant on the machine at the same time pulling backward that part of the skin which may have been moved forward and not boarded, such part being the upper half of the fold lying on the bed, E. The rollers, I-I, I, serve to hold the skin against the back draft of it caused by each action of the boarder on it. From the rollers, I-I, I, the skin passes between the napping roller BI, and bed L, and is napped or velvetized by such. During every successive rotation of the boarder such operations occur, the same continuing until the whole skin has been boarded or grained and softened. rIhe machinery by which the boarder F and the rollers, I, and M, are put in operation may be thus described.

On the driving shaft B is a gear, t, which engages with a pinion, u, fixed upon one of t-he journals of the boarder, F, the other journal of the boarder carrying an arm, Q, from which a small projection or tooth, o, extends as seen in Fig. l. During the rotation of the boarder the tooth, o, is forced against one of the teeth of a tri toothed gear, B, fixed upon one journal of the roller, I, as seen in Fig. 4. rhe other journal of said rollerrcarries a pulley, B, around which and another or smaller pulley T, see Fig. 3, a belt, w, travels and transmit-s motion to the pulley, T, and the tubular shaft, thereof, the latter turning upon a stationary pin, y, extended from the framework. On the said shaft, m, is another pulley V, around which and a pulley, w, a belt, X travels, the pulley w, being fixed upon one of the journals of the roller, M.

As it is sometimes desirable to use the machine so as to simply dress the fleshy side of the skin without bringing into operation the boarder, F, the machine may be constructed for such purpose, it being understood that previous to being so operated, the rubbing sections, c, c, c, of the boarder are to be removed from its frame. Besides this a continuous movement is to be imparted to the roller, I, and in order to produce this movement the shaft of the said roller I, may be provided with a gear V (see Figs. l, and 3) which may be thereon.

Between such gear and that of the boarder there may be a smaller gear Z, see Fig. G, applied to the framework so as to be capable of being thrown into or out of engagement with the gears immediately above and below it, the gear, Z, being what is usually termed a transmitting gear.

The machine not only performs the function graining the skin on one side, but itsoftens or renders pliable the whole skin and dresses or velvetizes, or raises a nap or pile on the opopsite side of it.

I do not claim boarding a skin by doubling it and performing the remainder of the operation between two boards by manual. labor in the usual way, but

What I do claim is as follows:

l. 4I claim t-he combination of the roller, G, the rotary boarder F and the bar or concave E arranged and made to operate together substantially as set forth.

2. I also claim the combination of the holding and draft mechanism or rollers H, I, with the boarding mechanism, or rollers, the boarder and concave or bar as specified.

3. I also claim the napping or piling mechanism or roller M and bed L) in combination with the boarding mechanism or the holding and feed rollers thereof.

4. I also claim combining with the movable t-able or bed K the rollers G, H, and bed L, so that they may be moved simultaneously either toward or away from the boarder F, the bed E, and rollers I and M.

5. I also claim when the boarder is made of a series of separate rubber springs and a holding frame, as set forth, applying the sectional rubber to the frame by means substantially as described, viz., by a bar, f, and a movable end, Z2, whereby the rubbers may be either detached from the frame or maiir tained within it as specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my signature this thirteenth day of July, A. D. 1855.

J. B. WENTVORTH. 

